Tears of the Giraffe (2000)

We hope we're not giving too much away by stating that Mr J L B Matekoni's maid is seriously and rightly concerned she will soon lose her job. And such a cushy job it is. She's able to sleep in Mr J L B Matekoni's bed during the day with men of her choosing, at least some of whom probably pay her.

Not only that, but she's lazy. She doesn't keep Mr J L B Matekoni's house to anywhere near the standard expected by his fiancée Mma Ramotswe. And the food she gives him is rubbish.

And, of course, it is Mma Ramotswe whom the maid blames for the precariousness of her position. She, the maid, had Mr J L B Matekoni wrapped around her little finger, and she had seen a good long term position with him. Now, along came this horrible fat woman (Mma Ramotswe) who was going to chuck her out. Something had to be done.

And done it was. The maid is going to have Mma Ramotswe sent to jail for many years, with a slimy plan typical of such a person.

In another story in this lovely novel, Mma Ramotswe investigates the beautiful wife of an ordinary-looking butcher. Their son goes to an expensive school, and the butcher doesn't know where the money is coming from. He knows he can't afford it, and not knowing is driving him nuts.

But Mma Ramotswe has so much on her plate, she can't fulfil her requirements on behalf of the butcher. So, much against her will, she decides to meet Mma Makutsi's expressed desire to do some detective work, instead of only administrative and secretarial work. The resolution of this case, if successful, would, believes Mma Makutsi, prove her detective skills. This story gives Sandy the opportunity to expound upon the moralities of his primary and secondary detective agency protagonists.

In a third story, we learn the tragic tale of Motholele and Puso, two Bushmen children resident in Mma Potokwele's orphanage. Mma Potokwele uses her influence over poor fruit-cake obsessed Mr J L B Matekoni to try and find Motholele and Puso a good home. It's more than worth being aware this story, and boy-oh-boy, if you haven't read it yet you've got a hell of a story ahead of you, is substantially based on fact.

Before Mr J L B Matekoni's fruit-cake filled tummy, wherein his mind appears to reside, knows what's happening he and the children are sitting in the cabin of his truck, heading for his home, wondering what on earth Mr J L B Matekoni is going to tell Mma Ramotswe. Mr J L B Matekoni's maid is far from impressed, but Mma Ramotswe reacts in the way one would expect.

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GrumpyKoala's comments

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